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, l zsheen-sneez 1. J. G. SPINDLER & I'. L.A FAIRGEILD. Y TractionEngine.

, No. 232,375. j Patented SepLQLISSO.

IN VEN TORS Jafm Y a. --sjsi wier v 2S11eets-Sh'eet :2. J. C. SPINDLER &P. LI'AIRCHILD.

, Traction Engine.4

No. 232,375. Patented sept. 21, 1880.

* a I l y n llll l mm' l v IN1/FN 70H5` lWivnesses Jaim Y Spindler f' Y`./glvl) N PETERS. YNOTO-LTfOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D4 C.

UNrTED STATES PATENT Ormea.

JOHN C. SPINDLER AND FRANK L. FAIROHILD, OF MOUNT VERNON, OHIO,ASSIGNORS TO O. COOPER, GEORGE ROGERS, F. L. FAIROHILD, AND O. G.COOPER, ALL OF SAME PLACE, ONE-FOURTH TO EACH.

TRACTlON-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,375, datedSeptember21, l1880.

Application iiled January 1G, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. SPINDLER and FRANK L. FAIRCHILD, of Mount`Vernon, in the countyT of Knox and State of, Ohio, have 5 invented anew and useful Improvement in Traction-Engines, which is fullydescribedin the following specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of an 1o enginewith such parts shown as are necessary to illustrate the nature of ourimprovements; Fig. 2, a detail vertical section, on an enlarged scale,of the wheel, taken on the line a: m, Fig. l; Fig. 3, a similar viewlooking outward, taken I5 on the line z z, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a similarview of a portion of the main shaft and drivingpinions, taken on theline g/ y, Fig. l; Fig. 5, a transverse section taken on theyline fv o,Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 a similar view taken on the zo line w fw, Fig. 4.

Our invention relates to improvements in the mechanism bynieans of whichthe engine is made self-propelling. y

The invention consistsin providing the hub 2 5 of the rear supportingwheel or wheels with an inwardly-projecting llange, on which thedrivinggear-wheel is mounted.

It also consists in providing a spring-oonnection between the Vmainengine-shaft pro- 30 pelling-gear, whereby the shock is taken up inpassing over rough ground, and a limited amount of motion is permittedin the engineshaft when starting, before the propellinggearing isloroughtinto` operation. 3 5 It also consists in various devices andcombinations of devices, all of which will he hereinafter fullydescribed,l and more definitely pointed out in the claims.

We have applied our improvements to that 4o particular class ofself-propelling engines in which the rear truck-wheels are driven by aninclined shaft at one side of the engine, ex'- tending from the mainengine-shaft to the rear axle or counter-shaft, when the latter is used,45 although our improvements are not necessarily limited to thisparticular kind `of driving mechanism, but are applicable to enginesprovided with propellinggear dill'erently constructed and arranged. y

The mainfeatures of the. engine and pro- 5o pelling mechanism abovereferred to are well known, and will be referred to herein only for thepurposeof clearly showing the construction and operation of our Vpresentspecial improvements. Y

In the drawings, A represents the boiler of the engine, and B the mainen gineshaft, which is provided with the ily-wheel O. An inclined shaft,D, is mounted in suitable hearings at one side of the engine, andcarries at its upper 6o end a bevel-gear wheel, d, which meshes with abevel-pinion, E, mounted loosely on the main engine-shaft. In the backof this pinion E a circular groove, e, is out, extending nearly aroundthe pinion, as shown in Fig. 6 of the 65 drawings.

A hub, F, is rigidly secured to the main shaft B. On the outer face ofthis hub there is a pin, f', which is arranged to enter a groove,

g, in the hub g of a circular casing, G. This 7o hub is mounted looselyon the engine-shaft, and the groove therein is similar in constructionto that in the pinion Ethatis, it extends nearly around the hub.

The inside g2 of the casing G is mounted 75 loosely on the hub F, andthe two parts of the casing lare secured together by suitable bolts.

It will be seen, therefore, that the circular case G is free to movewithin certain limits upon the engine-shaft and hub F. To the in- 8oside part of the casing G is attached a pin, f, which projects into thecircular groove e in pinion E.

Within the case G is coiled a spring, H, the inner end, h, of which isfastened to the hub 85 F, Awhile the outer end, 7L', is secured to thecase, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

At the lower end of the inclined shaft D is a bevel-pinion, df, which,in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is represented as engaging directlywith 9cthe driving gear-wheel I, which communicates motion to the truck-wheelsthrough the medium of a pawl-and-ratchet attachment, the ratchet r, asshown in Fig. 3, beingin this instance on. the wheel I, and the springpawl or pawls t on the hub of the truck-wheel. This mode of connectingthe wheel I and the truckwheel, which permits independent or slip motionof the truck-wheel independently of the driving gear-wheel I whenoccasion demands, is well known, and requires no further explanation.

The construction shown in patent of George Rogers, No. 173,498, may besubstituted, howeverthat is, a counter-shaftmay be employed with pinionsgearing into the driving-wheels on the truck-axle, the saidcounter-shaft driven by the inclined shaft.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings the wheel I is represented as constructed togear with a pinion on such a counter-shaft, and in this same figure theaxle J of the rear truck-wheel is represented as a short or stub axlefastened to the boiler or re-box of the engine.

The hub 7a of the rear truck-wheel is provided with a flange,k,projecting inwardly on the inside of the wheel, and constituting thebearing for the drive-wheel I, which is mounted loosely on the flange c,and connected with the truck-wheel hub by the pawl-and-ratchetattachment, as before explained, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 8 of thedrawings.

The'flange k extends over an enlargement, j, of the axle; but an openannular space is left between this enlargement and the ange, as shown inthe drawings, so as to avoid-all unnecessary friction.

A shoulder, k2, is provided at the hub end of the ilange, against whichthe gear-wheel I rests `when in position. The wheel is also providedwith a casing, L, which surrounds or overhangs the pawls p and theratchet r; but as this feature of construction forms no part of ourpresent invention it is not necessary to describe it in detail here.

It has been found by experience that when traction-engines are run overa rough road or field there is danger of breaking the gearing or someportion of the propelling mechanism by the severe shock when striking orpassing over an obstacle, and this difficulty is increased by themovement of the fly-wheel, which is, of course, in motion when thepropelling mechanism is in operation.

It has also been found that in a traction-engine with a single crank andcylinder some annoyance and delay are occasioned by stopping on thecenter; and also, the engine in starting has no chance to gain motionbefore it commences to pull its load, but there is a dead pull at thevery start of the engine.

All of these difficulties are obviated by the spring attachment which weintroduce between the engine-shaft and the inclined shaft; for it isevident that if when moving along the truckwheels strike an obstacle ordrop into a rut there will be sufficient yielding in the gearingconnecting the engine-shaft and the inclined shaft to prevent breakage.

Whenever the engine stops the reaction of the coiled spring will besufficient to turn the crank past the center, and when the engine is rststarted up it is evident that the engineshaft will make nearly onerevolution before the pin f will be in position to turn the bevelpinionE, and then there will be the winding up of the spring before the enginecommences to pull its load, which will altogether give a free start ofnearly two revolutions before the parts are brought into workingposition to move the engine.

Heretofore the driving gear-wheel I (which must be loose or independentof the truckwheel and connected therewith by pawl and ratchet, orequivalent means, so as to allow the truck-wheel to have movementindependently thereof when occasion demands) has been mounted on theaxle, and as it usually turns with the truckwheel, additional frictionis thereby occasioned, and also the bearing is worn away by dust anddirt working in around it, thereby disturbing the true position of thewheel and impairing the successful operation of the propellingmechanism. By mounting the gear-wheel on the flange of the hub, as abovedescribed, we obviate this difficulty; for as the gear turns with thetruck-wheel it will have no movement about its bearing on the flangeexcept when turning corners or when the engine is drawn by horses.

The spring attachment to the gearing may be placed on the inclined shaftinstead of the engine-shaft, and other changes may be made in detailswithout departing from the essential features of our improvements.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a traction -engine, the combination, with the single-crankengine-shaft, the inclineshaft, and gearing connecting the two, of aspring attachment, forming part of the connecting-gearing', and arrangedand operating to permit movement, to a limited extent, of thedriving-shaft independently of the inclineshaft, as and for the purposeshereinbefore set forth.

2. The main engine-shaft B and its hub F, provided with a pin,f, incombination with the grooved casing Gr, mounted loosely on the shaft,the coiled spring H, the loose bevelpinion E, provided with a grooveengaged by the pin f on the casing, and the bevel-wheel d on theincline-shaft, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

3. A single-crank engine-shaft, B, provided with fly-wheel C and hub F,with pin f', in combination with the incline-shaft D, hav-ing abevel-wheel, (l, at its upper end, the loose bevelpinion' E, grooved asspecified, the grooved loose casing Gr, provided with pin f, and thecoiled spring H, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore setforth.

4.. Ihe truck-wheel with hub projecting on IOO IIO

IZO

` permit slip or independent movement of the truck-Wheel with respect tosaid drivin g-Wheel, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

5. The Wheel-axle J, provided with an enlargement, 7', in combinationwith the truck- 1o wheel hub having an inner ange, 7d, extending overthe enlargement j, but with an annu- 1er space between them, and thedriving gear- Wheel I, loosely mounted on the huh-flange, substantiallyas described.

JOHN C; SPINDLER. FRANK L. FAIROHILD.

Witnesses:

DEsAULT B. KIRK, J. H. RICHARDS.

